Masanori Takumi

Masanori Takumi, better known as Masa Takumi, is an award-winning composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from Japan. Throughout his prolific career, he has recorded and produced material for anime series such as Claymore, Witchblade, and Koi Kaze, while also making a name for himself as a songwriter for the likes of Exile, Daigo, Kara, FT Island, and many more. He was born on November 14, 1978, in the city of Osaka and began playing the trumpet at the age of 8. After teaching himself how to play the drums, guitar, bass, and piano during his teenage years, he joined the band Siren as a drummer in 2000. Following the group's disbandment in 2004, Masa Takumi became a full-time composer and producer, growing an extensive resume that includes a Best Reggae Album Grammy nomination for his work on Sly & Robbie's Reggae Connections (2014). Stars Falling, his studio debut, appeared in 2016 and was followed by Deep Down (2018), which won a Global Music Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Music, and the critically acclaimed Heritage (2020). In 2023, Masaka Takumi made history by becoming the first Japanese artist to win Best Global Music Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards for his 2022 album Sakura, a concept album inspired by Japan's cherry blossoms that reached Number 74 on the Japanese charts.